Egerer, Nicole

HLTH 302
12/3/20

Final Project: mHEALTH Applications

 The app that I decided to use for my health goal is called Insight Timer. My health goal

was to use nightly mediation to help me fall asleep faster because some nights I suffer from

medication induced insomnia. I wanted an app that offered not just mediation but other things

that I could try to use to assist me in falling asleep. Insight timer was super easy to use! The

version I used was free and it had many features. Some of the features/categories include a timer

(with presets,) guided meditations with different categories ie- mediation for beginners, coping

with anxiety, managing stress, improving your sleep. For advanced mediators they have

mindfulness at work, boosting your self esteem, and a category called for your morning. Under

their “Practices” tab you can find things such as sound, movement, self-observation,

concentration, mindfulness, gentle repetition, and visualizations. They have music, courses,

talks, and a space for both parents/children, and beginners. This app has so much to offer I would

one hundred percent recommend it to others! Insight Timer is designed not just as a place to

listen to things but it is also set up like a community. Each user has a profile which you can

make public or private. After the first time I used it I had a bunch of messages from different

people and they all said “thanks for mediating with me.” At first I didn’t understand the point in

that. As I thought about it more I realized that as we mediate we are holding space not only for

ourselves but also for others. The app even has “lives” kind of like Instagram Lives where some

of the instructors hold live mediations. You can add groups, your favorite teachers, and it tracks

your daily activity.

Under the sleep category they have things like sleep music, soundscapes, bedtime tales,

sleep mediations, sleep for kids and courses. My favorite mediation on the app is called Deep

Sleep Guided Mediation by Kenneth Soarer. I listened to it almost every night. My second
favorite thing to listen to to help me sleep is their “sleep music.” Sleep Music is a combination

of using 1.5Hz delta brainwave binaural beats, and music that is composed. I didn’t care for

their “Bedtime Tales” that much but I did listen to them once or twice to see if I would learn to

like them. Using the app was super simple. I didn’t have any trouble navigating it what so ever.

All I did was download it, open it, and start listening. You don’t need to worry about logging

your progress because the app automatically does that for you. I think for some people this can

be super motivating. When I went into this assignment I wanted to improve my sleep, but I also

wanted to accomplish the goal which was to use the app for one month (4 weeks.) I also really

wanted consistency, so I wanted to try to use it every single day. While I achieved the use for a

total of four weeks the days weren’t all consecutive but it was pretty close! The reason I didn’t

have 30 days consecutively was because a few nights I fell asleep watching tv.

My results were that I felt much more calm, and at peace. I had an easier time falling

asleep. I have continued to use this app since the assignment ended. Before I started using the

app I would toss and turn for hours. I would be on my phone on social media or up for hours

trying to fall asleep watching tv (never a good idea!) Using the app gave me structure which is

something I already know I thrive with. I am really looking forward to the live mediations. I

honestly cannot believe this app is free. There is a version of the app you can pay for. I tried to

look into the paid version and what you get with the subscription but I couldn’t find anything on

my phone app or online. They offer over 70,000 free mediations. I think this is amazing. I also

think a person’s time is valuable. There is a way you can make a “donation” to the instructors. I

think what I would do is keep some of it free but then make it so people have to donate to the

instructor. Even if it is $1 after X amounts of using the app. There are a lot of principles and
reasons why I believe Insight Timer should do that. Honestly I can’t think of many things to

change. Although I would want to see it available on Android. As of now it is only available on

Mac/Apple products. I love the freedom this app gives you. You have the ability to use it any

time any where, just not while driving! I also like that there is no pressure to buy anything.

Before deciding to use Insight Timer I also downloaded an app called Calm so I could see

what it was all about. I found Calm to be extremely confusing. Half the time I was afraid if I

clicked on the wrong thing that I would be purchasing a subscription for $69.99 per year. They

try to lock you in by offering a free 7 day trial and then they automatically charge you. I found

this particular app to be very disappointing. Everything costs money and it isn’t user friendly.

They have something that is called a “breathe bubble,” kind of like what the iwatch does when it

tells you to breathe but honestly I don’t know why anyone would use Calm when an app like

Insight Timer exists. Almost nothing on Calm is free in comparison to Insight Timer.

In conclusion I used the Mars tool so that I could rate Insight Timer. MARS is used to

assess things such as functionality, engagement, usability, privacy, security, and clinical

relevance. Insight Timer has a 4.9 rating and its current version is 15.11.5. It is developed by

Insight Network Inc. The basic version of the app is free and the upgraded version is $59.99 per

year or $9.99 per month. It appears it is only compatible with all Mac products and not with

Android devices. I was unable to find the N rating version for the current version of the app past

or present. The description of the app falls under Health and Fitness. I believe that the MARS

assessment does a good job at assessing Insight Timer. This app hits almost every single check

box. So happy I learned about this app and plan on using for more than just helping me fall

asleep.
 References

Calm - The #1 App for Meditation and Sleep

https://www.calm.com

Compassion Guided Meditations | Insight Timer

https://insighttimer.com/meditation-topics/compassion/browse/guided